Savings-bank.



No."718,184. l PATENTED JAN. 13, 1903. J. H. ZIMMER.

SAVINGS BANK.

APPLIOA TIOH FILED NOV. 22, 1901.

K0 MODEL.

.11; A TTORNE Ys m;- I I MENTOR.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN H. ZIMMER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO EDMONDS-METZELMANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SAVINGS-BANK.

SIECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 718,184, dated January13, 1903.

Application filed November 22, 1901- Serial No. 83,269. (No model.)

in all whom it may concern: its uppersurface flush with the upper edgeBe it known that 1, JOHN H. ZIMMER, a citiof the sides of the receptacle2. An annular zen of the United States of America, and a groove 6 is cutinthe interior of the cylinder resident of Chicago, in the county ofCook and near its upper end, and the cover is held in 5 State ofIllinois, have invented certain new place by the two tongues 7 and 8,which are and useful Improvements in Savings-Banks, seated in the groove.6. The tongne7is movof which the following is a specification. able,being a part of the lock 9, which is se- The main objects of myinvention are to cured to the under side of the cover and proprovide animproved savings-bank of simple, vided with a keyhole 10, passingthrough said IO durable, and inexpensive structure, to procover. Thecover is further provided with a vide an improved form of trapcontrolling the handle 11, with a circular hole 12 for the incoi'n-slot,to provide for readily looking the sertion of paper money, andwithacoin-slot13. cover to the body of the bank in different On theunder side of the cover 5 is a casing relative positions, and to avoidunnecessary 1 L, which supports the slot-closing mechan- 15 obstructionsin the interior of the body, and ism. The tongue 8 is preferably madeintethus facilitate the removal of the contents gral with the casing14:, the whole being so conwhen the bank has been opened. structed as tobe readilystamped out of one It will be understood that many bankingsheetof metal. The casingisfurtherprovided concerns now make it apractice to furnish with a slot 15, corresponding to the slot in the 20small portable savings-banks to their deposicover 5, andwith lugs 16,whereby the casing tors, the banking concerns retaining the keys issecured to said cover 5. Theslot-closing of such portable banks andremoving and mechanism consistsofapluralityoffingers17, counting thecontents when brought for depivoted to a shaft 18, which is securedwithin posit. My bank has been designed particu the casing 14: andparallel with the slot 13 of 25 larly for such use with a viewto savingtime the cover. Each of the fingers 17is provided in removing thecontents and relocking the with a pair of lugs 19, said lugs havingtherebank and to providing a device suitable for in the openings 20 forreceiving the shaft 18. this purpose which can be furnished at a com-Each of the fingers 17 is also provided with a paratively low cost.spring 21, which is wound around the shaft 0 I accomplish the objectshereinbefore men- 18 and bears between the fingers 17 and the tioned bythe construction shown in the ac-" cover 5, tending to force saidfingers into a companying drawings, in whichclosed position across theslot 13. Each of Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section the fingers17 also bears againstaball or roller of a device constructed accordingto my in- 22. Said balls areconfined within thecasingl 35 vention, theline of section being indicated and adapted to hold the fingers 17inadownby the line 1 1 in Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a top plan wardly-inclinedposition, as shown in Fig. 1. of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan of thecasing The balls 22 further serve to prevent a coin which supports theslot-closing mechanism of inserted in the slot from being pressed by thesaid device. Figs. 4 and 5 are respectively finger 17 against the edgesof both slots 13 o 40 an elevation and a plan of one of the fingers and15, thus reducing the friction and faciliemployed in the saidslot-closing mechanism. tating the insertion of the coin. A furtherFigs. 6 and 7 are respectively an elevation use for the balls 22 is thatthey tend to roll and plan of the spring whereby the finger is acrossthe slots and keep them closed when actuated. the fingers 17 are presseddownwardly. The

5 The device shown consists of a hollow steel fingers 17 have their freeends curvedto fit receptacle having a cylindrical body 2. The the ballsand pointed at 23 to prevent the bottom 3 is integral with the sides ofsaid caswithdrawal of a loop of paper or similar mateing. The top isentirely open and has a counrial if introduced for removing acoin.terbore 4, which is adapted to receive the The operation of this form ofbank is as 50 cover 5. Said counterbore is of sufficient follows: When acoin is inserted in the slot depth so that the cover will set into samewith 13, such of the fingers 17 as come in contact with said coin aredepressed to allow the passage of said coin, the balls 22 rollingslightly to facilitate such passage by the reduction of friction. Thefingers 17 which are not in contact with the coin remain closed. Thecasing 14 supports the balls and protects the fingers from being injuredby the contents of the bank. The position of the fingers insuresthat nocoin can be shaken through the slot 15, so as to be removed from thebank. When it is desired to open the bank, by to ming the key in thekeyhole 10 the tongue f the lock will be withdrawn from the groove 6,permitting the ready removal of the cover 5. It will be seen that withthe removal of the cover the entire operating mechanism is removed,leaving the side walls of the body free from obstructions and avoidingthe possibility of money being retained within the bank. When the bankis to be closed after the removal of the money, the cover may bereturned, so that the tongue 8 enters the.

groove 6 at any point in its circumference, and the tongue 7 will thenbe let into the opposite part of said groove by means of the key. Itwill be seen that this construction avoids any necessity of carefullyadjusting the cover to a particular position when returning same to thebody of the receptacle, and thereby greatly lessens the labor of acashier or teller, who handles many of such banks.

It will be seen that some of the details of the device shown may bealtered without departing from the spirit of my invention. I thereforedo not confine myself to such details except as hereinafter limited inthe claims.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A savingsbank comprising a receptacle, open at one end and having acylindrical interior free from obstructions to the outward passage ofcoins or paper money through said open end, and having an annular grooveextending around its walls near said open end; a cover having therein acoin-slot; a suitable trap secured to said cover for preventing theoutward passage of money through said slot; a pair of oppositelocking-tongues secured to said cover and adapted to engage said grooveat any opposite points along the groove; one of said tongues beingmovable into and out of locking position; and locking means foractuating said movable tongue.

2. A savings-bank, comprising a receptacle having a coin-slot throughthe wall of same, a casing secured to said wall and within saidreceptacle and having a corresponding slot, a spring-actuatedfingerseated in said casing and acting toward the slot in said wall, anda movable roller seated in said casing and adapted to limit the movementof said finger toward said slot.

3. A savings-bank, comprising a receptacle having a coin-slot throughthe wall of same, a casing secured to said wall and within saidreceptacle and having a corresponding slot, a series of independentspring-actuated fingers seated in said casing and acting toward the slotin said wall, and a series of movable rollers seated in said casing andeach limiting the movement of one of said fingers toward said slot.

4. A savings-ban k, comprising a receptacle having a coin-slot throughthewall of same, a casing secured to said wall and within saidreceptacle and having a corresponding slot, a series of independentspring-actuated fingers seated in said casing on one side of the slot insaid wall and acting toward said slot, and a series of movable rollersseated in said casing on the opposite side of said slot and at the freeends-of said fingers.

5. A savings-ban k, comprising a receptacle having a coin-slot throughthe wall of same, a casing secured to said wall and within saidreceptacle and having a corresponding slot, a shaft insaid casingextending along one side of. said slot, a series of fingers 17 eachhaving a pair of lugs 19 journaled on said shaft, springs 21 encirclingsaid shaft between said lugs and each havinga spring-arm bearing againstthe under side of the finger, and another spring-arm bearing against theinner surface of said wall and thereby holding said fingers normallyacross the slot in said wall.

6. A savings-bank, comprising a receptacle having a coinslot through thewall of same; a casing secured to said wall within said receptacle andat said slot; a trap secured within said casing adapted to permit a cointo be passed inwardly through said slot from the outside of saidreceptacle, and to prevent the outward return of said coin through saidslot; and a series of movable rollers in said casing interposed betweenthe trap and said wall, limiting the movement of said trap toward theslot and adapted to bear against said coin and roll inwardly during thepassage of said com.

7. A savings-bank, comprising a receptacle having a coin-slot throughthe wall of same, a casing secured to said wall within said receptacleand having a corresponding slot, a series of independent spring-actuatedfingers seated in said casing on one side of the slot in said wall andacting toward said slot, and a series of movable balls seated in saidcasing on the opposite side of said slot and at the free ends of saidfingers, the free ends of said fingers being curved to fit said ballsand provided with points for the purpose specified.

Signed at Chicago this 6th day of November, 1901.

JOHN H. ZIMMER.

Witnesses:

WM. R. RUMMLER, J. D. EDMONDS.

